Shoe and glove buttoner.



wmm/ BY H. B. LAUGHLIN.

SHOE AND GLOVE BUTTONER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYI5. I9I8.

1,291,563. 7 Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

INVENTdR,

NlTNESSES ATTORNEY rmmun: nun m. ruumunm, Iumnwwu. n c

HUGH IB. LAUGHLIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SHOE AND GLOVE BUTTONER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

Application filed May 15, 1918. Serial No. 234,675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH B. LAUGHLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Shoe and Glove Buttoner, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for buttoning gloves, shoes or like articles of apparel, and the object is to provide a simple device of this character which may be readily formed by stamping from the desired metal a suitable blank which, by a single bending operation, may be given the proper form for performing the function of quickly and easily forcing buttons within their respective buttonholes.

Another object is to provide a buttoning device which will successfully draw the button through the hole, without imparting thereto the usual circular roll or twisting motion as is the case with the ordinary button hook in common use, which results in often tearing the shank of the button loose from its fastening and also in mutilating the button hole.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification; it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to strict conformity therewith, but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several figures Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a shoe showing the improved buttoner in the initial position of buttoning;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view showing the buttoner in side elevation and in the second step of the operation;

Fig. 3 is a similar view indicating the third or final step of introducing the button through the button hole and illustrating the improved device in longitudinal section;

Fig. 4 is a face view of the buttoner.

In the use of the ordinary button hook, as is well known, it is first necessary to introduce the hook through the button hole and,

after fishing around in order to surround the shank of the button with the prong of the button hook, it is necessary to draw the button over into registering relation with the button hole. This can only be done by giving the button hook a circular movement using the hook end as a pivot, which movement necessarily imparts a similar circular, twisting movement to the button which is often twisted from its shank or from the fastening means. Likewise such movement of the hook causes the button hole to be distended, almost around its entire edge, and quickly becomes permanently enlarged with the button hole stitching impaired, with the result that the glove, shoe or other article upon which such botton hook is used, is spoiled in appearance.

The buttoning device of the present invention is designed to overcome these defects and is well calculated to place the button in position within the button hole without defacing the article, tearing or mutilating the button hole stitching, or the surrounding material, or wrenching the button from its shank or from the fastener thereof.

As hereinbefore stated the device is designed to be stamped from a sheet of suitable metal sufliciently stiff and strong to withstand the strain to which the buttoner may be subjected, and is provided with a longitudinally disposed shank portion 1 which is considerably wider than the thickness of the metal and is slightly tapering, in plan view, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. An enlarged ring 2, preferably elliptical in form, is integrally connected to the reduced end of the shank portion 1 and serves as a handle portion to be grasped by the thumb and fingers during the operation of buttoning. The terminal ring 2 may also serve to secure the buttoner to a key-ring, if desired, or to hang the device upon a nail or the like, and, as will be readily understood, the same may be used to advantage for removing the well-known metallic bottle caps.

The larger end of the tapered shank portion 1 is bifurcated, as indicated at 3, thus providing a pair of spaced prongs 4-4, which are slightly flared outwardly, as shown, to cause the bifurcation to assume a V-shape for readily positioning the same over the shank of a button, in a manner to be described.

The larger terminal portion of the shank l is bent upon one fiat side, as indicated at 5, at a point adjacent to the juncture of the prongs 44, so that the said prongs lie at an angle substantially forty-five degrees to the.

plane of the shank 1, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, to facilitate the application of the device to the head of the button, as will become apparent.

The shank l is provided, at a point adjacent to the bend 5, with a pair of'oppositely disposed tapered stops or lugs 6.6,' formed integrally therewith, and extending outwardly from the opposite side edges of the said shank, and substantially at right angles thereto, the said lugs 66 being preferably, though not necessarily, pointed on their outer ends having their side edges somewhat rounded, all of which is clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

It will be readily seen that the device is of such simple construction that the same may be readily formed from suitable sheet metal, by 'a single operation for stamping and bending to secure the desired shape, so that the same may be manufactured at an extremely low cost and that the same, when formed of the cheapest material and of the simpleststyle, may be admirably adapted for advertising purposes. At the same time, the device may be made of better material, or suitably plated or ornamented, as desired, to constitute a more valuable-article.

In the operation of buttoning up a shoe, glove or other article of wearing apparel, the device is designed to be used in the following manner. As illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the prongs H are inserted through the button hole with the Hat side of the shank 1 toward the button hole, and the bent terminal portion comprising the prongs, inwardly directed toward the button. By pressing the device through the button hole, until the lugs 66 strike the edges of the said button hole, the latter may be forced over nearly into registering relation to the button, when the flared prongs 44 may be positioned in straddling relation to the shank of the button, and by an outward swingingmovement of the device, in a path indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2

and 3, the ends of the prongs are caused to fulcrum adjacent to the button, until the button hole is drawn completely over the button, and. the device is further swung, when the prongs 4r4c engage beneath the head of the button and upon either side of the shank thereof, and upon the completion of the swinging movement of the buttoner, the head of the button may be readily drawn through the hole, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that an extremely cheap and simple device has been provided, which will act to draw a button into its respectivebutton hole, without the rotary movement necessary in the operation of the ordinary button hook, thus resulting in a quicker operation and avoiding the wear and tear incident to theuse of'such hooks.

What is claimed is 1. A glove or shoe buttoner comprising an elongated shank portion having outwardly flared prongs formed on the terminal thereof to engage the button, and oppositely disposed lugs extending outwardly from the opposite side edges of the shank, adjacent to the said prongs, said lugs limiting the palssage of the shank through the button ho e;

2. A device of the class described comprising a shank adapted to be inserted through a button hole, outwardly directed tapered lugs carried by the shank for limiting the passage of the latter through the said hole, and spaced prongs formed on the end of the shank adjacent to the lugs, said prongs being flared outwardly and bent at an angle to the plane of the shank for introduction. upon either side of the shank of a button and beneath the head thereof for the purpose of drawing the same through the button hole.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HUGH B. LAUGHLIN.

Witnesses:

Louis VVAL'IERSLEIN, ANNE F. HASTY.

Copies of this patent may beobtained fox-.five: cents each, by addiessingthe "Commissioner cfilatents.

Washington, D. C. 

